Rail-joint.



F. D. HELTZEL.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLIGATION FILED APR. 11, 1913.

Patented June 24; 1913.

Kdfl/izal,

Inventor Atto r n e ys O Witnesses W /MZZM.

FRANCIS 0. HELTZEL, OF ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAIL-JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 24, 1913.

Application filed April 11, 1913. Serial No. 760,519.

To all whom 2'25 may concern Be it known that I, FRANCIS O. HELTZEL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Erie, in the county of Erie and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Rail-Joint, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in rail joints.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved form of overlapping rail joint in which the weight of a train passing thereover will be gradually transferred from one rail to the other.

A further object is to provide an overlapping rail joint which will do away with the fish plates and thereby provide a rail joint which may be readily inspected.

A further object is to provide an overlapping rail joint with tie plates therefor and which tie plates are adapted to lock to the rail sides suitable web plates, the said web plates being in the nature of fish plates but considerably smaller than the same.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings accompanying this specification and forming a part thereof, the

preferable form of my invention is illus-' trated, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved rail joint with a portion of one end cut away to show the construction of the web. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross sectional view thereof taken on the line AA of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a View in perspective of one of the overlapping ends of a rail. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevation of the rail joint.

Referring to the drawings in which similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, 1 is the rail head, 2 the web and 3 the flange. As shown in perspective in Fig. 3 of the drawings, a portion of the rail is cut away so as to form the rounded curved end 4 and the longitudinally extending portion 5 which is approximately equal to one half of the rail prior to the said portion being cut away and the inner extremity thereof is curved outwardly as at 6 to normal size. As the wheels of a train pass .overthe rails and in going from one rail to the next adjacent rail, the weight will be gradually transferred from one to the other along the curved portion 6 of one rail after which the weight will be equally sustained by both rails, after which it will be gradually shifted to the other rail as the train leaves the extreme curved portions 4.

In order to provide means whereby the rails will be prevented from shifting, tie plates 7 are provided and as illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawings are provided with the upstanding flanges 8 spaced a suitable distance apart and between which extend the web plates 9. The web plates 9 as illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings, are similar in cross section to an ordinary fish plate but do not extend the entire overlapping dis-- tance of the two rails. The web plates which are positioned at the ends of the rails are provided with the notches 10 at their outer extremities and the said tie plates 7 are provided with alined notches through which are adapted to extend suitable holding spikes whereby the said rails will be rigidly secured to the cross ties and the tie plates forming an eflicient supporting structure upon which the railsmay rest. By reason of the upstanding spaced members 8 the said web plates 9 extend downward therebet-ween and engage therewith, the holding spikes preventing the web plates from rising out of engagement with the upstanding flanges 8 of the tie plates which thereby insures that the rails and the web plates will be prevented from moving relative to the tie plates which thereby eliminates any tendency of the rails to creep. As illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the ends of the meeting rails are cut away, one being cut to form the right hand portion and the other being cut to form the left hand portion and in order to provide suitable strengthening means at this portion where the rail is cut away, the web plate is formed integral with the web head and flange as at 11 in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The web 12 is also strengthened at this point as illustrated in the cut away portion of Fig. 1. The web plate is formed integral with the rail at the extreme outer end thereof and the portion of the opposite rail in alinement therewith is provided with the outstanding portion 13 which is of a size corresponding with the integral web plate 11.

As illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings there are two of the tie plates 7 at each rail joint. there being a tie plate adjacent the overlapping end of each rail. Disposed approximately central of the overlapping ends are suitable web plates, the same being similar to the web plates 14 disposed at the overlapping ends of the rails and comprise the upstanding portions 15, the spaced. longitudinally extending lugs 161G, the same contacting with the upper and lower extremities of the rail web 12. The said web plates are provided with suitable apertures 17 extending therethrough, through which apertures extend the securing bolts 18, there being three of the said bolts in the present form of rail joint, one disposed at each extremity of the overlapping rails and one approximately central thereof. The inner central portion of each web is cut away as at 19 whereby a slight opening 20 is obtained therebetween and which lightens the structure as well as allowing the metal to be placed at a more advantageous place. The rail joint as described is extremely efficient in service, train wheels passing smoothly from one rail to the other, the same being accomplished by the manner in which the two rails merge one into the other and by providing the curve extending at right angles to the outer edges of the head and tangential to the narrow portion thereof. The integral and detachable web plates provide reinforcing means at the points through which the holding bolts extend and also interlock with the tie plates and provide means whereby holding spikes may be driven through the same.

Having thus fully described the invention what I claim to be new and original with me is:-

1. A. rail joint comprising overlapping ends, one being the complementef the other to thereby form a single rail-like structure, fixed and detachable web plates disposed along the sides of the meeting ends of the rails, holding bolts passing theretl'irough, web plates with upstanding flanges disposed beneath the rail ends adapted to interlock with the end web plates, said web plates and tie plates provided with alined notches at their outer ends for securing spikes.

An overlapping rail joint with the meeting ends thereof elongated, the said elongated ends provided with the extremities thereof rounded oif, the curvature of which extending tangential to the longitudinal axis of the rail and the remote end of the curve extending at right angles to the rail end, the adjacent meeting rail provided with an end a complement thereof, the two rail ends uniting to form a single rail-like structure, web plates formed integral. with the extreme ends of said rails, web plates detachably secured to the said rails intermediate the overlapping ends, means extending through said web plates and rail webs adapted to hold the same in fixed relation, and tie plates disposed beneath the rail flanges and projecting therebeyond, said tie plates provided with upstanding flanges interlocking with said web plates and adapted to hold the same against relative movement.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

FRANCIS O. HELTZEL. lVitnesses Gno. A. Fninoniorrs, FRANK S. FRIEDnIoI-Is.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. (3. 

